Eed help with Senior Railcard application
 

I am trying to complete my form for a senior Railcard. I put in my US address with my 5 digit zip code & it sends it back saying "invalid post code" I tried the contact us page, but can't submit if you don't have a post code! Can anyone please help me?

What rail card? Please give a link since your question is so vague.

Why not just make up an appropriate postal code.

As a US citizen (assuming you are) are you eligible to buy this rail card?

I am using senior-Railcard.co.uk. It says a valid passport or uk drivers license is need for eligibility plus 60 yrs. or older.

fluff - I assume you mean the Senior railcar in the UK - right?

If so, you don't apply on line. You cannot do it on line w/o a UK address. But no need to. Just print off the form and fill out the hard copy. Take that w/ you to a ticket window at a train station in the UK and hand it in there.

oops our posts crossed . . .

meant to say -- print the pdf file at home

Yes, that is the site. The FAQ page says you can buy online if you use a UK address for delivery. Doesn't say how to put in a US address & post code.

I gues I solved my problem by using my son's London address & not putting in my US info. I provided my passport info & it went through!

>>The FAQ page says you can buy online if you use a UK address for delivery. Doesn't say how to put in a US address & post code.<<

Doesn't matter now -- but as I said -- you just print out the form and take it w/ you to the train station (where you'd need to collect your tickets in any case). Not complicated at all.

(For others who don't have a child w/ a handy UK address)

Well, maybe not. When I got to the billing section I put in my credit card & my billing address. It wasn't accepted. I didn't try mybson's addreses in London since it wouldn't match the address on the credit card. Guess I might have to wait until we get to the train station as you suggested.

Try again using your son's address as the billing address. It may work, and it may not, but no harm trying. I had the same problem when renewing my TV license recently, using a credit card with a US billing address. I put in my UK home address as the billing address, and it went through without any problem.

From the US, I have an annual UK Senior Railcard that I bought and renew at whatever handy station I find myself in after arrival that has a ticket office. I buy tickets in advance online, always with the Senior Railcard discount, and make sure the railcard is renewed if necessary before boarding any train with tickets bought at the discounted price. It works very well and makes a huge difference in what I pay for rail travel even with the railcard fee taken into account.

I should add, the point is you don't need to enter a railcard number or identify yourself in any way as eligible for the discount in order to be able to take advantage of the discount when you buy the tickets online. You just need to have a valid card when traveling with the tickets as they do check, you must show your railcard to the conductor. So no need to buy the railcard in advance of actual travel.

Just buy your senior railcard in person at a staffed ticket office in UK before you travel with senior discount. You can still book cheap tickets on line with senior discount and collect from fast ticket machine before travelling, using the payment card used. Since they won't mail the card outside UK, there is no point in online purchase.

You can also have the person at the ticket office give you any tickets you've bought in advance online while you're there to buy the railcard. Using the machines is not mandatory, the agent will print them for you.

Should have thought of that. I'd be surprised if you can use your son's address . . . unless you use his credit card too. The address has to match or the cc will decline the transaction.

So -- just print out the form and take it with you. As I think I explained on your other thread, <U>there is no reason you need the senior card before buying the discounted tickets</U>. You just need it when you collect the tickets at the station - you can pay for the senior rail cards and then at the very same window, talking to the very same agent, collect your pre-purchased tickets.

was posting the same time as MmeP.

Well go figure, it worked using my son's UK address. Now just hope that I do get it there!

>>The FAQ page says you can buy online if you use a UK address for delivery. Doesn't say how to put in a US address & post code.<<

Because UK postcodes aren't in the same format as US zipcodes - since the primary market is people in the UK.

I honestly don't understand why you didn't just print out the form . . . but never mind. If it works it works.

Janis, i do remember you saying the same as MmeP. But, I guess I might have been a bit impatient wanting to have it all done before leaving the US. So, now I have that done. Do you know if other rail companies accept the senior card? My son & DIL are looking at taking the train to,Bruges while we visit, am wondering if I can use the pass?

All rail companies in the UK, yes.

I think I misread your post and so do you want to use the card in Belgium? That would be no. And if I recall correctly senior train discounts in the EU require residence there.

If I could pre-empt Flanner and recommend that you do not go to purchase your Senior Railcard at a suburban railway station during the morning rush hour. You don't want a crowd of angry commuters standing behind you, as it takes more time than just buying a ticket does.

My experiences with the above have been primarily at London stations with lots of windows open, not rush hour. In any case she's got her card, or will when she gets to her son's. No commuters to offend this time.

Is Flanner pre-emptable?

The Senior Railcard isn't, itself, valid on Eurostar - but Eurostar DOES offer some concessionary rates to those 60 & over, and they require only proof of age. Just identify your age on the web booking form. My experience is that the age concessions aren't available on all Eurostar trains, seem completely unavailable at peak travel periods and sell out very quickly indeed.

Do remember, BTW, that Senior Railcard discounts don't apply during morning peaks on journeys entirely within about 100 miles of London

Sadly, many Continental transport systems DO offer discriminatory fares on the grounds of age alone (mostly those systems that are still owed by governments still running up immense deficits), and their feckless politicians continue to maintain these appalling subsidies from hard-working people to those who don't have children or mortgages to maintain. But you need to trawl through them country by country, since they're mostly restricted to local residents.

Though Railcard holders get lots of emails with "special offers", they're mainly special in that they're for things no-one wants. THE key other advantage of a Senior Railcard is that you can get it "linked" to your Oystercard, getting a 33% reduction on the price of most off-peak daily caps. Any Transport for London ticket office will explain and do this for you, but, to underline chartley: please don't ask for this when real, full fare-paying, customers are trying to get to work to pay for the monstrous subsidies we steal from them.

I don't know if anyon e is still following this post, but I thought I'd report that I had our railcards sent to my son's address inUK. The passes were here when we arrived. I am happy to,report thattheynworked marvelously on our rail trip to Edinburgh(1st class). My DH now says that is the way to travel. So, I will be starting to look for a train trip next spring from London to Paris, Brussels, & Amsterdam!

By the way, we did use our cards to purchase Oyster cards & have used it as well.

Glad it worked out for you. But for most visitors (who don't have the luxury of a relative for mailing the rail card) that isn't necessary. Simply walk up to the window in the UK train station and turn in the form you can download at home. Easy peasy.